Washington (Platts)--12Jan2009

Following debate Sunday on a public lands bill that would set new
protections for wilderness areas, forests and water resources, the US Senate
is scheduled to resume consideration of the measure Monday afternoon.

The bill, which was put to a cloture vote Sunday afternoon, has drawn
criticism from Senator Tom Coburn, Republican-Oklahoma, and others for
excluding millions of acres of land from being made available for domestic
energy production.

The Senate on Sunday held a cloture vote to proceed with consideration of
the measure, with 66 senators voting yes, exceeding the 60-vote minimum needed
to defeat a possible filibuster. The Senate is schedule to convene at 2 pm EDT
(1900 GMT) Monday, and move to consideration of the bill, the Omnibus Public
Land Management Act of 2009 (S. 22).

On Friday, Coburn criticized the chamber's leading Democrats for
scheduling a vote on the bill, which is a collection of measures to designate
certain parcels of land as wilderness or preservation areas, with only a
minimal debate.

The decision to start a new congressional session "with an earmark-laden
omnibus lands bill makes a mockery of voters' hopes for change," Coburn said
in a statement.

The measure would make about 8.8 Tcf of natural gas and 300 million
barrels of oil unavailable for production in Wyoming, Coburn said, adding that
the energy resources "walled off by this bill would nearly match the annual
production levels of our two largest natural gas production states -- Alaska
and Texas.

"The ability to solve our energy problems is being tremendously hampered
by this bill," Coburn said on the floor Friday.

In a letter to senators Friday, the Chamber of Commerce urged lawmakers
to vote against the bill because it "substantially hampers energy development
and private property rights by withdrawing millions of acres of land from oil
and gas exploration."